| Hi read,
How are you this week? How is your summer going?
I have something to confess. I am tired of the mindset of creating magical summers for our kids. There, I said it.
Is it just me or is there a lot of content out there that suggests I must create a magical summer for my kids each year? Here's the thing. I still have work to do. And it's traditionally my husband's busiest season of the year. What it comes down to is I'm trying to have fun with my kids and I'm also counting down to the start of school.
Working mamas already do so much all year long. There is so much pressure on moms to do more, create more, be more. We all need to know where our boundaries are. Making summer the most magical experience is one of mine.
We do travel in summer to a place that my kids will enjoy but my husband and I want to enjoy it too. We made the transition from family trips to family vacations a while ago when family travel got easier as the boys got older.
So, what does summer look like for us when we aren't away on our summer travels? The summer mainly consists of my boys going to a lot of camps (or to some camps many times). I create a mix of camps I think my boys will really like, based on their interests, or activities they have asked to try, combined with camps that they love. We've gone to the same half-day camp for several years now. At that camp, my boys play tennis, kickball, pickleball, and wallball, and have swim time. It's nothing fancy but my boys LOVE IT! No magic needed. My older son even wants to be a counselor there when he's old enough.
What about when my boys aren't at camp? They ride bikes with each other or with neighborhood friends. When there are lifeguards at the small private club pool in our neighborhood, the boys can swim without a grownup. They love the feeling of independence that comes with these options.
They read books. One of our boys recently did a lemonade stand and made bracelets, building his entrepreneurial and philanthropist muscles since part of every sale went to a non-profit that we love as a family. And, yes, they are getting screen time.
We intentionally try new meals or eat out at new places to give summer a slightly different feel, but there is no magic needed.
They will look back on this time and think about the fun, the outdoor time (before the holy cannoli heat kicks in each day), the family movie time and board/card games, and the laughter. Summer is full of experimenting and learning new things as well as playtime. They have fun and they do things they love, but it's not about a magical experience.
If you're trying to shake the summer-is-magic mentality, maybe this is a mindset shift you need to tackle. (Remember how I talked about that in the last newsletter?) Your kids are going to remember how you made them feel and summer isn't any different. Your kids can feel loved, empowered, and thankful for new experiences without thinking that it all must be magical.
Do you try to make summer magical for your kids? Or are you more about summer being a great time to explore and chill?
Happy summer!
Suzanne
PS Trying to get everything labeled for summer camp? Check out my favorite personalized stick-on labels from Mabel's Labels. | 
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